Finally I am done with this chapter. Don't know why, but it took me several days to write...

Kt, I want to thank you for your review. My girlfriend laughed so hard, and I think she would still be making fun of me if I hadn't pointed out that it was her fault, too. Back then she was still my Beta reader, but how can I blame her? She's not a native speaker either! So thank you for taking your time and telling me that. I changed it in the last chapter and I'll never make that mistake again!

Helen inhaled deeply, taking in the salty scent of the ocean. A soft breeze whirled up the sand on the beach, and the warmth of the sun tickled her skin. Helen had her eyes closed, and the constant whooshing sound of the breaking waves lulled her into a light sleep. For a moment she was able to forget everything surrounding her and her mind drifted off. She felt her body relax in the heat of the sun, and she rolled over, propping her head on one arm.

She could hear someone plunging into the waves, chuckling. It was a familiar sound to Helen, but it still took her another second to realize whom it was coming from. Her eyes flung open, her heart pounding wildly in her chest.

"Dru, no!" Helen called out in exasperation and immediately leaped up her chair, almost knocking over Jules who had been sitting next to her. She ignored her furiously cursing brother and dashed off to safe her sister from drowning. Her sleepiness had vanished the moment she had seen her sister in the water and now every nerve in her body was on fire, ready to do whatever was necessary.

"What were you thinking?" she said while wrapping her arms around Drusilla and lifting her up. Helen's heart was racing, panic-stricken, and she clutched at her sister as if afraid that the waves would come back to take her from her. Drusilla's pupils were widened and she stared at her sister in disbelieve.

"You're mean. I wanted to play with the fish," she said, her lower lip protruding defiantly. Helen dropped her on the bath towel that lay spread out on the sand next to the chair Jules was sitting on. He watched his sisters, playing with a bottle of sun cream while Helen bundled Drusilla up in another towel.

"You know you can't swim," Helen scolded her younger sister. "You scared me to death!"

"But-" Drusilla wanted to object, but Helen cut her off. "No, you know that you can't just plunge into the waves. It's too dangerous, and you are too young."

Drusilla's chin was now trembling and tears were threatening her eyes. "But...but they look so beautiful. I want one. "

"Well, you can't have them," Helen said as calmly as possible; she was boiling on the inside. If something had happened to her sister it would have been her fault and she couldn't take that, not now.

"They wouldn't survive if you'd take them out of the ocean," Helen said, and Drusilla buried her head in her hands, whimpering.

"Dru, please," Helen begged and pulled Drusilla up into her arms, comforting her. She hated to see her cry, but Drusilla would whine about a lot of things. She was as soft and sensitive as her brother Jules, but lacked his confidence and courage. Helen sometimes feared that she was too gentle to become a Shadowhunter one day, but that was nothing to worry about now. They would have to deal with that later.

"I'm sorry, Silla," Helen whispered, brushing a kiss on top of her sister's head. After her attempt to catch a fish in the water her hair was wet and tasted salty. Despite being wrapped into a towel Drusilla shivered in Helen's arms and her lips turned purple.

The water must have been freezing, Helen thought. It was a rather cold day in late summer, and three weeks had passed since the hot day on which Katerina had been injured. The first week after that Helen's tutor had stayed at the Institute's infirmary, but had then been released and granted a two week vacation to recover. Helen hadn't seen her since their talk they'd had and she had longed to apologize to her. She still felt embarrassed about what she'd said and had punished herself by not thinking of Katerina. The way Katerina had looked at her still hurt Helen like a thousand needles to her skin.

"Helen, I think I need your help."

Helen's head flipped back immediately and her eyes met Jules's. He was on his feet, his posture stiff. She followed his gaze, and she bit down on her lip to hold back a cry. Helen leaped up, completely forgetting about Drusilla who yelped in surprise, and ran for the twins. She almost fell halfway up to them, the warm sand unsteady under her bare feet, and dropped down next to Tiberius who stared at her with big eyes.

"What's wrong?" he asked and Helen had to keep herself from yelling at him. She knew he wouldn't understand the mistake he was about to make. Helen looked at the jellyfish that had been washed ashore and lay motionless in the sand. Tiberius had his arm still stretched out, about to touch one of the tentacles. Livia was bending over the creature, staring at it both in disgust and curiosity.

"Touch it!" she urged her twin brother. Helen's hand shot out reflexively, and she grabbed Tiberius tightly by the wrist.

"Don't you dare," she hissed at him, and Ty flinched. Helen shot a glance at Livia, her grip still firmly on Tiberius. "You don't need to encourage him. You know perfectly well that these are poisonous."

Livia collapsed on the sand and blinked at her sister, her mouth partly open.

"It was my idea," Tiberius said defensively, trying in vain to wiggle his wrist out of Helen's hand.

"No, Ty, don't," Livvy interjected. "It was my fault. I forgot they were dangerous."

"How can you forget that?" Helen asked furiously. "Everyone knows that!" She tried to control her temper, she really did, but her siblings seemed to conspire against her.

Livia's eyes narrowed on Helen and she crawled up to Ty, snatching his wrist out of Helen's grip.

"It was a mistake," she snapped, pulling Tiberius into a tight hug. "I would never let anything happen to him."

"I know you won't," Helen sighed. Livia glared at her angrily, her arms wrapped protectively around Tiberius, and said, "So leave us alone. Would you?"

Helen was taken aback for a moment, but then she slowly got to her feet, her eyes till fixed on the twins. Livia had turned her back on Helen and was now talking to Tiberius in a low voice. Helen retreated, her head spinning. She'd always known that Livia didn't like to be put in place, but she had never been disrespectful to her parents or Helen. Why snap at her now?

"Are you okay?" Jules asked worriedly as Helen sank down on the chair she had been sitting on before preventing Drusilla from drowning. She nodded absent-mindedly, watching Livia and Tiberius as they plunged back into the waves. Jules cast a glance at Drusilla who was curled up into the towel, her eyes closed, and he leaned in on Helen.

"I know you're lying," he whispered, his breath tickling Helen's cheek.

"I'm not," Helen retorted, but she felt her face blush and hastily added, "I'm fine, Jules. Everything is just fine."

"Really?" he asked skeptically. "It didn't look like everything was fine."

"Why would you say that?" she asked, her eyebrows drawn together in concern.

"Well, you did scream at Livia," he said carefully, "and I think you really scared her. I've never seen her scared before. I didn't even know what it looked like. Now I do."

"I didn't -" Helen said, but broke off, realizing with shock that the words she had said had come out more harshly than she'd indented to. She lowered her head, to ashamed to look at her own brother.

"Helen, why don't you tell me what's going on with you?" Jules asked, and Helen tilted her head to look at him. A weak smile crossed his face and his blue-green eyes stared back at Helen. His dark brown hair was ruffled, the tips still wet from his swim. He was wearing green shorts that emphasized the color of his eyes, and Helen couldn't help but notice how much he had grown. He was still way shorter than she was, but his body was slender and not chubby like it used to be. His skin was slightly tanned and unmarked; soon he would receive his first rune and start his training. Helen wished for that day to never come. She knew that he was skilled enough to become one of the best Shadowhunters, but she didn't want him too. She wanted him to stay the cute boy he was, but he was already showing traits of growing up. He was caring and he would always sense if something was wrong with her. Helen had to hold back a smile, thinking that one day a girl would fall in love with him for all the reasons Helen loved him.

"You're not answering me," Jules said slightly upset. "Please, you know you can talk to me."

Helen knew she could, but she didn't want to burden him with it. He was just a boy.

"I know," she said, "but this is nothing you should worry about. You are too young."

Jules rolled his eyes at Helen and snorted, "People keep saying that. I'll soon turn ten. I'm not a baby anymore."

A grin spread across Helen's face. "Oh, you'll always be my baby." She leaned over to ruffle his hair and Jules cried out angrily.

"Stop that!"

Helen chuckled. "You need a haircut."

"And you're just trying to distract me," he hissed, but he couldn't keep his lips from curling into a smirk. "Fine. If you don't want to tell me what's bothering you…"

He never got to finish the sentence. For the third time since they arrived at the beach Helen jumped to her feet to run for one of her siblings. This time it was her brother Mark. He looked distraught as he swiftly crossed the space separating them, and he came to a halt in front of Helen.

"What happened?" she inquired and Mark said breathlessly, pressing his flat hand to his chest, "It's… it's Viviane." He broke off, gasping for air.

Panic rose up Helen's throat and she asked alarmed, "Is it the baby?" Out of the corner of her eye she could see Jules running up to them, Drusilla by his hand. Their faces were flushed and Jules looked worried.

"Mark, what is it?" Helen urged. She didn't want her siblings to hear what she thought Mark would say. The image of Drusilla's birth was still clear in her head, Viviane pale as a ghost and her breath rattling, the sound of broken clockwork.

"She just went into labor," Mark said. His face was shining with sweat and he impatiently wiped his forehead with the hem of his shirt. "An hour ago she had started to have a fever and Dad wanted to bring her to a hospital, but it was too late. He called upon the Silent Brothers and told me to get you."

Helen's mouth opened, but the words wouldn't come out. She whirled around as she heard her sibling's footsteps on the sand and tried to put on a smile.

"What's wrong?" Jules asked immediately. Drusilla by his side looked frightened and she was desperately clutching at her older brother's hand. "Is Mommy alright?" she asked, and Helen had to bite down on her lip. She forced a smile on her face, kneeled down to be on eye-level with her sister and said, "Dru, your Mommy is going to be just fine. She's having a baby. You're going to have a baby sister or brother."

"Really?" Drusilla asked, her eyes gleaming with joy. Helen knew exactly how to cheer her sister up, but she had no idea how she could hide the fact that Viviane was not at all well once they reached the Institute. She would worry about that later.

"Stay with Mark," Helen said and Drusilla nodded obediently. "Jules, would you help me get the twins?" Julian's eyes darted from Mark to Helen, a silent question, but when no one answered he gave a sigh and followed his sister back to where they had lain.

"Will you please tell me what happened?" Jules snapped once he caught up with his sister. He hated that she was so much faster than he was, but he knew one day he would beat her. All he needed was to grow a bit more.

"Jules, please," Helen begged. She reached for the first bath towel, folded it carelessly and packed it into the bag they had brought with them. "You are-"

"I'm not too young," he hissed. "I can handle it."

Helen grabbed another towel as well as the sun cream bottle Julian had been playing with.

"You're nine years old," Helen said. "I don't want you to worry."

Julian snatched the bottle of water she wanted to put away out of her hand and Helen stared at her brother, baffled. He had his fingers tightly wrapped around the bottle and the skin on his knuckles turned white.

"You worry all the time too. Remember last time Mum had a baby?" he snapped. "Well, I was only four years old, but I still remember part of it. Helen, if something is wrong with her I need to know. I need to..."

"What?" Helen retorted sourly. "Protect her?"

Jules nodded fiercely, his eyes steady on his sister. Helen stopped for a second and stared back at Jules, gritting her teeth.

"This family really needs to stop being so protective," Helen sighed. She carefully placed a hand on Julian's shoulder and lowered her head. They were almost nose to nose.

"You've grown so much, Jules," Helen said sadly, "and I really don't like it. I wish you could just stay my baby boy, and sometimes you still act like a little child, but you worry about your family the way only an adult would. I love you so much."

She pulled him into a quick hug and when she released him she said, "Please, get Ty and Livvy. Your Mum has a fever and if something happens to her you all should have the chance to see her for a last time."

Helen turned to pick up the last item to put into the bag, but before doing so she caught another glimpse at Julian. The look on his face was devastating. She could see that he was trying not to show the fear he felt for his mother, and she watched him crestfallen as he walked over to their siblings.

"Wait out here," Helen said. Jules opened his mouth to object, but she cut him off. "I'll be right back. Mark will take care of you."

She exchanged one quick look with her brother Mark and dashed off down the hallway, glancing over her shoulder to make sure none of her siblings were following here. She didn't know what she was about to find, but she surely didn't want them to see their mother in pain.

Although it was already late afternoon heat was pressing down on Helen and by the time she reached the infirmary she was covered in sweat. She burst into the room, not caring about the noise she made, and stopped dead in her tracks by the sight of a dozen Silent Brothers gathered around a bed. Among the robed figures she could spot her father Andrew, his face was flushed and his hair in disarray. Upon seeing his daughter he broke away from the crowd and hastily walked over to her.

"Helen, where are the kids?" he asked, panic-stricken. He was breathing heavily and his hands were slightly trembling. It scared Helen seeing her father like this. She remembered the day Drusilla was born. Back then Viviane had suffered from fever after giving birth to Helen's sister and her father had been so worried he hadn't eaten for days. He had sat by Viviane's bed, Drusilla bundled up and propped in his arms, and had watched his wife sleep. One of the Silent Brothers had constantly been at their side, but no one could explain Viviane's illness.

"They are with Mark," Helen said and her father seemed to relax a little. However, his eyes darted restlessly back to where Viviane was lying and when his gaze met Helen's again the expression on his face was tensed.

"They better stay with him. I don't want them to see their mother like this," Andrew said.

"How is she?" Helen asked. "Can I see her?"

Andrew nodded mutely and took his daughter by the hand to lead her over to Viviane's bed. The Silent Brothers were gathered closely around Viviane and Helen had to stand on her tiptoes to get a look at her. The moment Helen saw Viviane, pale against the white sheets, she arched her back up and a heart-rending cry escaped her throat. Tears were spilling down her cheeks and she clutched at her sheets, digging her nails deep into the fabric. Helen flinched as another cry tore through the air.

One of the Silent Brothers pulled away from Viviane and Helen could see the rune he had just put on Viviane's arm, red against her white skin. She recognized it as a rune for strength. Viviane tossed around in bed, whimpering, as the Silent Brothers slowly retreated.

The baby is coming, said one of the Silent Brothers. Helen knew his voice, but she couldn't think of his name. She watched them thunderstruck as they withdrew; half of them left the room, the other half stayed at the back of the infirmary. A woman with dark curly hair, dressed in white like a nurse, hurried up to where Viviane was still lying, and Helen wondered how she couldn't have noticed her before.

Helen stepped up to Viviane's bed and startled as the nurse pressed a wet towel in her hands.

"Place this on her forehead. It will lower her fever," the woman said, frantically rummaging through the nightstand that stood next to the bed. She retrieved a pair of gloves, put them on hastily and reached for a dry towel.

"You better hold her hand," the nurse said and it took Andrew a moment to realize she was talking to him. Tentatively he stepped up to the bed, next to where Helen was patting Viviane's sweaty face with the towel, and reached for his wife's hand. Viviane cried out, her fingers wrapping tightly around Andrews wrist, and for the first time since Helen had arrived her eyes flung open. Helen had to keep herself from gasping for air, as her eyes met Viviane's, full of pain and agony. Helen was shocked to see her like that. Viviane had always been a strong, cheerful person, but now she was weak and her smile had long faded.

"You need to press now," the nurse urged. She had sat herself on a chair at the far end of the bed, both of her hands placed on Viviane's knees.

"I...I can't," Viviane whispered, her voice crackly. Her lips were dried out and her dark coils plastered to her wet face, curling even more at the nape of her neck. The thin nightgown she was wearing was now drenched in sweat and nearly transparent, her runes showing through the fabric.

"You have to," the nurse said, and Viviane gave another cry, her eyelids fluttering. Helen heard her father wince as Viviane buried her nails in his skin, and then Andrew whispered, "Vivi, I love you."
He leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to his wife's cheek. Viviane screamed and then gritted her teeth, her knuckles turning white as she tightened her grip on Andrew. Another whimpering sound escaped his throat.

Helen was still too taken aback by the way Viviane had looked at her and she had completely forgotten about the wet towel she was holding on to. Hesitantly she lowered her hand and wiped away the sweat on Viviane's forehead. The woman arched up once more, her face contorted with pain, and she cried. It was a long, terrible noise, and tears were streaming down her cheeks. Andrew had started to scream as well, probably because Viviane's grip was so tight on his hand that it hurt him too.

Helen forced herself to look at Viviane's face; looking somewhere else might have given her a picture she would never forget.

"We're almost there," the nurse said, and again Viviane cried out. All of a sudden she fell silent and collapsed back on her sheets. Helen blinked at her, confused.

"What-" she was about to ask, but then she saw the expression on her father's face. His eyes were gleaming and he pulled away from Viviane, slowly approaching the nurse. Helen turned and her lips parted in surprise as she saw the woman holding the baby, wrapped into a blanket. It gave a squeaking sound followed by a cry. Andrew smiled at the nurse, one hand tentatively reaching for his child, and the woman said brightly, "Congratulations, it's a boy."

A low chuckle escaped Andrew's throat and his eyes filled with tears. He held his hands out and the nurse carefully placed the baby in his arms. He walked back to Viviane, his eyes never leaving the baby, and leaned in on his wife. Viviane looked ghostly, but the moment she saw her boy a weak smile crossed her face.

"My Octavian," she whispered, a single tear rolling down her cheek. Andrew and Viviane gazed at the newborn, both smiling broadly. Helen stood motionless, still clutching the towel in her hands, and stared at them. She was close to tears as well, but it was tears of joy. A few minutes ago the room had been filled with Silent Brothers and everyone had been worried about Viviane who had been close to unconsciousness. The little boy, however, had seemed to change all that and had taken away Viviane's pain. Helen remembered the way Viviane had looked when she had shown her Drusilla for the first time. It had been the same look of love she had on her face after she had given birth to Julian and the twins. Only a mother could have that look and experience the joy bearing a child gave you. Nothing was as beautiful as this moment.

Helen wiped away a tear that found its way down her cheek, placed the towel in a bowl the nurse held out to her and turned around to leave. The Silent Brothers were already gathering around the newborn and its proud parents.